Extremely hot – thermometer in the cabin reads 31ºC after we tied up at 5.45 in the shade. Came down the Stourbridge flight, with most of them set against us, even after passing a boat coming up – not quite sure what happened there.
Before folding down the pram hood cover, took off the side pieces and the front window cover, and stowed them on the roof. Together with undoing the front side poppers that made it possible to fold the rest of it in such a way as to leave room for getting up onto the roof for working the locks. Putting up the cover at the end of the day, without replacing any of the parts I'd removed, took just a few minutes.
The last two days were, in prospect, the worst of the journey – a lot of locks through bandit country. Apart from being so hot, they've actually been OK. The mooring last night on the Fens Branch was uneventful.
Tied up on the 5 day moorings on the Staffs and Worcs at Stourton Junction, heading north.
5 miles, 20 locks, 6 hours engine time.
